associates and family and friends. and seems like we're more preoccupied with our phone, more than issues we have in front of us. >> you know, that really struck me. i think he is right. quinn is right. put down that phone. put down the tablet. maybe step away from your computer. because the point is, you should really spend some time with the people around you. ask those that you care about, how they're doing, and listen, really listen, to really hear their answer. i think that can help all of us chase life to hundred. well, that will wrap it up for us. time for top stories on the cnn news room. hello, everybody, i'm don lemon, we're in the cnn news room. first, a man is locked up in egypt and there is an american connection. u.s. officials are working to figure out if the man played a part in the attack on the consulate in libya that killed four americans, including the u.s. ambassador.

the egyptians say their suspect is the leader of a terror network. we're working our sources for you, so stay tuned, live on cnn. and egypt's president could be backing off a power group that led to a national crisis. mohamed morsy says he is willing to change the decree that critics say would give him too much power. the offer would not be enough, though, to satisfy the egyptians furious. at least six people have died in clashes, we'll bring you to cairo for the latest on that. and president obama and house speaker john boehner are talking again. but that is about the only thing close to progress in efforts to avoid the fiscal cliff. president obama used his weekly address insisting he is ready to make the tough decisions on spending cuts. >> i am willing to make more entitlement spending cuts on top of the one trillion in spending cuts i signed into law last year. but if we're serious about reducing our deficit while still investing in things like education and research that are

important to growing our economy, and if we're serious about protecting middle class families then we're also going to have to ask the wealthiest americans to pay higher tax rates. that is one principle i wouldn't compromise on. >> speaker john boehner has a different view. he says the president needs to abandon what he called his "my way or the highway approach," in his words. if the president does that a lot of things are possible. syrian rebels are battling army units around the capital. activists say 26 people were killed in the damascus suburbs today, while 29 more were killed around the country. meanwhile, the u.s. and other officials warning against chemical weapons. syria says it would never use the chemical weapons against its own people but warns that terrorists could use it against the people. and linebacker jerry brown, a dallas cowboy, a member of the

team's practice squad was pronounced dead at the hospital. he was riding in a car driven by josh brent, the starting nose tackle. brent has been arrested on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter. police say the player's mercedes was traveling at high speed when it hit a curb, flipped and caught fire. and same-sex couples getting their day in court. today, the supreme court decided to hear cases regarding federal laws, one regarding the defense of marriage act, or doma, involving couples legally married in their own state. the other is a challenge to california's prop 8, which took away the rates of same-sex marriage that had been previously approved by state courts. the top story this hour, a man considered the leader of a terrorist network, now in custody in egypt. this is why we're paying attention to this man. u.s. officials believe his group had something to do with the attack in libya that killed the

american ambassador and three other u.s. citizens. our national correspondent, susan candiotti is live for us. you have been working your sources. what do we know about this terror suspect and the group he leads? >> well, let's talk about him. the investigators have had this man on the radar for some time. and now he is being called a possible suspect in the benghazi attacks. muhammad ahmad was arrested, in custody while the investigation goes on. u.s. authorities believe he been involved in the september terror hit that killed ambassador chris stevens and three other americans, according to the u.s. official. now, they have not been able to talk with him yet, the official would not comment. he is known there as a radical

jihadist, forty-five years old, a master's degree in law. and the driving force behind a new terror group seeking to align itself with al-qaeda, according to our sources. now an egyptian official says that abu ahmad has denied any connection to the u.s. consulate attack, or al-qaeda. he is believed to be linked to a terror cell that was linked to a situation in egypt when five were arrested. >> is the fbi making progress? >> you know, don, it is hard to tell. our sources are saying they're linked to a lot of people. they're questioning a tunisian suspect, alharzi refused to speak. that is one source, abu ahmad, he is another one, we don't know the role he may have played, and five others in the alleged

terror cell, what they have to do, if anything at all. in the benghazi attacks. we hope to learn more about it in the coming days. >> have fbi agents been able to get access to this guy? >> no, they're still trying to do that. they have had trouble getting access to others in other countries. there is always difficulty in helping out the united states in many of these investigations because of the impression it might leave with some of the countries over there. but they have been working on it and continue to do it. i am sure a lot of pressure will be brought to bear. >> appreciate your reporting, susan candiotti. and egypt's president, learning how difficult democracy is. thousands took to the streets after the decree that was issued giving him more powers. now that could be changed. and restores calm to egypt.

reza sayah. >> reporter: well, right now, the top political figures, in egypt, holding a press conference after important meetings in the presidential palace. and we'll see if there is a sort of breakthrough on this impasse. but for the second day in a row, we see signs that maybe, egyptian president morsy is making moves and it could be viewed by the opposition as concessio concessions. you will recall last week, he made decisions regarding the parliament. tonight, according to the official who was at these meetings, at the palace, the president is now willing to amend one of the controversial decisions, article six, which says that the president may take necessary actions to protect the goals of the revolution.

it is seemingly a vague decision that says the president can do whatever he wants until the parliament is formed. and you will recall last night, the president said he is willing to postpone the referendum on the draft for the constitution, next saturday, december 15th. again, as we speak, there is a press conference going on, top political figures in egypt. announcing this meeting. could they make these announcements by the president official? will it be positively received by the opposition leaders? is there a sort of breakthrough to this impasse? we'll keep a close eye on the press conference. >> those are a lot of questions, and one i want answered now if you can. do you think this latest offer by morsy will be enough to end the protests? >> reporter: well, don, here is the thing, there is so much mistrust on both sides that even when the president made these

apparent offers, last night, the day before. some members of the opposition are convinced that these are just ploys by the president. but i think what is going to be key is how the opposition leaders react to the president. whatever decisions he makes in the next few hours. we'll see if they see it as a concession. and we'll see if they get together and talk about this. they have not done it yet. >> because reza, it is all about trust. i don't know if there is anything he can do to make them trust him. because they view him as a pawn for the muslim brotherhood, am i correct? >> reporter: yes, these two sides don't like one another. they don't trust one another. they believe it is a critical time for post-war egypt. they believe that whoever is at the helm of the government for egypt will do a lot in shaping vision for egypt. both sides want to be at that helm, and that is why this fight is continuing. >> on to other news now, here in

the united states it is hard to find signs of progress in washington as president obama and john boehner want to find agreement on the fiscal cliff. what is not being said is also important. what is not being said is also important. here is dana bash, senior correspondent. >> reporter: the house speaker ended the week with a progress report, none. >> when it comes to the fiscal cliff that is threatening our economy and threatening jobs, the white house has wasted another week. >> reporter: he and the president spoke by phone, only once all week, and it didn't produce much. >> just more of the same, it is time for the president to be serious, to come back to us with a counter offer. >> reporter: but what may have been most notable what was john boehner did not say. he did not repeat his demand to keep taxes cuts for the wealthy in place, the biggest issue that divides them, instead he said

this. >> there are a lot of things possible for the revenue, to put on the table. but none of it will be possible if the president insists on his position, insists on my way, or the highway. >> reporter: aides to john boehner and the president who are doing the negotiating are tight-lipped. but others suggest possible compromise on the thorny tax issue. one, instead of raising the current tax rate on the wealthy from the 37% from the bush tax era, to 36%, as the president wants, pick a middle ground. republicans are so concerned about small businesses getting hit by increased rates, follow a bipartisan senate proposal from republican susan collins, now endorsed by republican olympi s

well. all week, he tried to turn it around by making the president look unreasonable. >> the president has adopted a deliberate strategy to slow-walk our economy right to the edge of the fiscal cliff. >> reporter: democrat jim manly were top congressional aides for years on opposite sides of many negotiations. >> when you have the negotiations, you have to fill the public space up with images of communications, on what the leaders are standing for. >> reporter: but manly, the democrat, from the president's perspective he says this time is different. >> the president and his team finally came to the result that they can't negotiate with hostage-takers, and learned their lesson from last year. >> the speaker says over and over he is waiting for the president to give him a counter offer, but democrats say they don't expect it to happen until the republicans say they're willing to give at least a little bit on the tax rates for the wealthy. the speaker put out a comment,

saying his opposition to raising the rates will not and has not changed. thank you, dana bash. and still ahead, the unique situation, turning them from veterans to citizen leaders in their communities. and we take a look at the war zone, from the families caught between the front lines in syria. two years ago, the people of bp made a commitment to the gulf. bp has paid over twenty-three billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting

their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. sven's home security gets the most rewards of any small business credit card! how does this thing work? oh, i like it! [ garth ] sven's small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! woo-hoo!!! so that's ten security gators, right? put them on my spark card! why settle for less? testing hot tar... great businesses deserve the most rewards! [ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? here's your invoice.

since the creation of hamas with a visit by the terrorist group's long-time leader. he traveled to the area hamas has governed since 2007.

the hamas leader called for the freedom of palestine, and said they wouldn't give up. the u.s. has listed him as a terrorist since 2003. and secretary of state, hillary clinton, the violence is only getting worse there. more than 40,000 lives have been lost. cnn's arwa damon has more on the latest, just how bad things are getting for locals who are still trying to live their lives in the middle of a war zone. >> reporter: it is hard to fully absorb the scale of the devastation here, how entire buildings seem to have folded down upon themselves. and then one continues to see traces of the lives of the civilians that called these buildings home, like the clothing that is just hanging right there. or children's books, like this one, the pages of it that we picked up from the rubble.

but this conflict can be surreal. just a couple of blocks away, the local barber shop is open, as are a handful of other stores. women crowd around us, eager to talk but not be filmed. both sides have hurt us. wronged us, one says. basic supplies are available here although prices have skyrocketed it. bread, bread, we want it so badly. it is like a drug, this woman tells us. if somebody has breakfast, they can't afford dinner. please, have mercy, they begged. on the street, we meet four boys. they ask if we think it is safe enough for them to go back home. they talk of tanks firing, and seeing other children lose limbs. they say, what they have witnessed have made them all decide to be doctors. to save the victims of war.

>> all right, thank you very much, that was cnn's arwa damon reporting from war-torn aleppo, syria. and attackers beg released from duty, often times without prosecution, we'll discuss this disturbing situation straight ahead, but first. a navy seal leaves the service, but still feels a call to serve, now he feels the need to help. >> for me being in the military was one of the greatest experiences of my life. because i was working with incredible men and women, dedicated to serving a purpose larger than themselves. when i served, i did four deployments overseas. in 2003, i came back from a last deployment in iraq, coming back from the al-qaeda targeting cell. when i came home i went to bethesda naval hospital to visit with the returning marines. i asked each of the veterans if

you can't return to the military, what else would you like to do? and every single one of them told me they wanted to continue to serve. when i left the hospital i called two friends and we agreed to do something about it. they put in the money from disability checks, i contributed my money from the combat pay in iraq. they set up opportunities to do six months of intensive leadership and fellowship in their communities. we helped them make a transition to being a veteran again. i think one of the biggest conceptions about returning post-september 11th veterans is that everyone is coming back injured and that they're all struggling. and there is a perception it is an at-risk population. in fact, this is an incredible group of veterans returning

home. we need to see them not as problems but as assets. these are men and women who wanted to make a contribution, that is why they joined the military. i think the right question to ask the veteran is how do you want to continue to serve? >> welcome home, brought to you by jeep. visit jeep.com to learn more. [ male announcer ] with a select terrain dial that adjusts the jeep grand cherokee's performance for specific weather and road conditions... ♪ ...even heavy snowstorms... won't keep you from getting to work. our apologies. ♪

a new documentary refers to it at the invisible war. the remarkably high number of rapes in the u.s. military. and despite their zero tolerance policy, there were more than 3,000 sexual assaults reported last year. and given that many are not reported the estimates are probably closer to 19,000. well, defense secretary leon panetta saw the film and has directed military commanders to hand over all sexual assault investigations to higher ranking colonels. >> we have to train commanders to understand that when the complaints are brought, they have to do their best to make sure these people are brought to justice. that is the only way we'll try to prevent it in the future is

to show that people can't get away with it. this place operates by command authority and it has to begin at the top. and the message has to go down to the bottom. >> so the numbers don't lie, government stats show one in five female soldiers is raped by fellow servicemen. joining me is psychologist wendy walsh. wendy, the documentary is called "the invisible war." and is in theaters now. you saw it. most people in the military are serving and doing the right thing. we just saw a story about that. but you saw, talked about the vicious attacks, these criminal attacks. a lot of victims say the military labels them as crazy. >> oh absolutely, because you know, the military handles their problems from within. and the down side for these women who are victims of rape, besides having post traumatic stress disorder, is they can't reach through channels to get

criminal prosecution. they can only go to the commanders, except leon panetta has moved it a step up to the colonels. but keep in mind, that commanding officer might be a drinking buddy of this suspect, or the suspect themselves. and don, we shouldn't discount the fact that men are also raped in the military. but the vast majority are female victims. and the pentagon is starting to realize that this is a real problem. >> yeah, yeah, there are long-term effects on these victims. watch this clip from the documentary, and then we'll talk. >> when he comes up and hugs me, sometimes i will cringe, and he will feel it. and he gets mad like why aren't you hugging me back, or whatever? >> i still do that. there are times -- >> and like him grabbing my hips. >> and i didn't understand, you know, why, because it is like i'm your husband, why? and i don't fully understand now. >> i see it in my dreams, that is what you don't get. i don't want to talk about

stuff. >> how are victims supposed to deal with things like ptsd and rape? >> women, in fact, the example know you saw just there of that young veteran. she was unable to get health benefits through the va because she was discharged, of course, because she was raped and couldn't continue to serve. so yes, they -- with private agencies, if you go to notinvisible.com. there are all sorts of ways to help. you can watch "the invisible war" on itunes or netflix. but there are important things to think about. last year in 2011 alone, there were 4200 reported rape or sex offenders in the military. only 175 served any kind of jail time within the military. that means the rest of them were either given a light sentence or they were ignored. or they were discharged into society. now, the average sex offender, we know this, has about 100 victims in their lifetime.

so the military has to stand up and look at this issue. because it is a big one for all of us. >> thank you, wendy, i really appreciate it. thank you. on the run in central america, software pioneer john mcafee has a new place to hide out, but may not be for long. and new information about the rapper, 15 years after his murder. [ tylenol bottle ] nyquil what are you doing?

[ nyquil bottle ] just reading your label. wait...you relieve nasal congestion? sure don't you? [ nyquil bottle ] dude! [ female announcer ] tylenol® cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion. nyquil® cold and flu doesn't. relieves nasal congestion. one is for a clean, wedomestic energy future that puts us in control. our abundant natural gas is already saving us money, producing cleaner electricity, putting us to work here in america and supporting wind and solar. though all energy development comes with some risk, we're committed to safely and responsibly producing natural gas. it's not a dream. america's natural gas... putting us in control of our energy future, now.

hour right now, let's get a look at your headlines on cnn, a well-known islamic militant, there is a connection, the fbi is working to figure out what role if any, the man played on the attack on the consulate in libya, that killed four americans, including the u.s. ambassador, so far, he says he had no link to the terror. and egypt, the power group that made many angry. and officials say mohamed morsy is willing to change a decree that critics said would give him to him authority. one opposition leader is looking at talks that is aimed at looking at the situation that

left six people dead. and arrested after early morning car crash, linebacker jerry brown was riding in the car that was driven by josh brent. police say the player's mercedes was traveling at high speeds when it hit a curb, flipped and caught fire. and south africa's beloved nelson mandela is getting tests at a hospital. but the spokesperson said there is no cause for alarm. he says that he is getting treatment consistent with his age. mandela spent years in prison after his long battle against wrongdoing. and the rapper, notorious b.i.g., information on his death. the los angeles coroner's office released a report saying he

suffered four gunshot wounds, one of which was fatal. his real name was christopher wallace, he was killed in an attack, nobody has been arrested on that attack. and john mcafee will be allowed to stay in guatemala, at least for now, authorities want to question him about the killing of a neighbor last month. he will remain in the detention center in guatemala until his case his heard. >> reporter: i just came from having an interview with the attorney for john mcafee. he says that at mid day today he was able to get a stay from a judge that will allow john mcafee to remain here in guatemala, at least for the foreseeable future. it could be up to a month or more. and will allow his case of a asylum to be heard by a judge.

>> when you told john, what did he say? >> he was very happy. he said well, i can -- i can confer -- i can trust in the guatemala laws, in what you are doing. i told him i will continue, i will continue until we get special -- protection for you. >> reporter: for now, john mcafee remains in isolation on the third floor here, his attorney hopes to get him out of here sometime next week. but he won't be allowed to leave the country. eventually when it is all cleared up. john mcafee says there is really one more place he wants to go, back home to the united states. cnn, guatemala city. thank you, ever give an on-line review of a service or product? if you're too harsh it could get you into big legal trouble.

we'll discuss the possible legal precedent that could have an impact on free speech. and don't forget, you can stay connected. you can watch cnn live on your computer. do it from work, go to cnn.com/tv. you won't take my life. you won't take our future. aids affects us all. even babies.

chevron is working to stop mother-to-child transmission. our employees and their families are part of the fight. and we're winning. at chevron nigeria, we haven't had a reported case in 12 years. aids is strong. aids is strong. but we are stronger. and aids... ♪ aids is going to lose. aids is going to lose. ♪

how they'll live tomorrow. for more than 116 years, ameriprise financial has worked for their clients' futures. helping millions of americans retire on their terms. when they want. where they want. doing what they want. ameriprise. the strength of a leader in retirement planning. the heart of 10,000 advisors working with you one-to-one.

together for your future. ♪ marketing firm reality track reports one in three homes sold in the third quarter sold short. that is when you sell a house for less than you owe on it, and the bank agrees to absorb the loss. right now, you don't owe taxes on the forgiven debt, on the other side of the fiscal cliff, you do. it expires on december 31st, unless congress acts. >> the average amount that homeowners are short in a short

sale is $95,000. and if this tax break goes away, as part of the so-called fiscal cliff, those homeowners could be taxed on that $95,000 as additional income starting in 2013. >> how much homeowners will owe in taxes on that amount depends on the tax bracket they're in, but on average, it would be about 20 to $25,000. the banks have an extra incentive to sell short and absorb the loss. the nation's biggest lenders get a credit for short sales as a form of foreclosure relief. foreclosures also sell on average for $30,000 less than homes sold via short sale. so as we near the fiscal cliff, you can expect short sales even more as homeowners get hit with bank taxes and banks get stuck with foreclosed properties. if we go over the cliff, the taxpayer's base with a short sale may be steep enough to walk

away instead. and that would push the fiscal cliff higher for 2013. i'm christine romans. all right, pay attention to this, it would affect you. many of us rely on them. on-line reviews of businesses and products. but did you ever think that giving a negative review would give you in trouble? a d.c. contracting firm is suing a woman for $750,000 for her tough report. she complained that the work done to her property was damaged. sloppy paint, stained carpet. there you go, a toilet, a seal that needed to be replaced. but a judge has sided with the contractor. karen conte is here, thank you for joining us. >> good to see you and finally meet you in person, much better looking in person, i have to say. >> so are you. >> oh, gosh, we all love each other. >> yeah, until after the show. >> i spoke with him yesterday, he said the picture of the

carpet, he said that was not his. that was before he replaced the carpet. he is suing for internet defamation claiming he lost thousands in business because of her review. so where did a person's first amendment right go to? >> well, you can yell fire in a theater, here, you can get disciplined. you can't say false statements of fact that cause damage. so no matter what goes on here she has to say the right thing. she has to say the truth. and if the truth is absolute -- it is the absolute defense. >> was this only recourse? couldn't he just gone on and written a response to the response? was this his only recourse? >> sure, he could have another response, ask for it to be taken off, just ask for them to take

it down. because a lawsuit is very, very expensive. and who knows at the end of the day if there will be money to pay for it? >> what does he need to do? >> he has to prove it is true or opinion. so opinions can't be defamation, i can say don lemon is a jerk, and that is my opinion, but if i said you were a convicted felon, that is not just my opinion, that is false. >> i want to read a statement we got from perez's attorney, saying she would abide by the judge's ruling, saying lawsuits can have a chilling effect on free speech. their intent is to use a lawsuit and the process of expensive legal fees to intimidate customers who have had bad experiences from sharing those with others. so what kind of precedent does it set? >> well, i have to say, most don't sue on these things, very expensive, you could spend tens of thousands. and listen, who wants to sue? now we all know this contractor's name.

it has been pressuublished now. >> $750,000, that is a lot of money for a review. if i'm at home and are watching this segment, before i hear about this lawsuit. before i go on a site, i will think twice before i post something. >> well, you should, because even if you say something that is absolutely true, somebody can sue, because you could have tens of thousands in litigations, so even if you win, you have lost. >> where are we from the internet is a free-for-all, you can do what you want. but this shows it is changing. >> it changes when somebody gets mad enough, and this guy is mad enough. >> can the websites -- >> they basically waive, when you sign all of these things you waive final liability. >> what should you do with a competitor or customer posts false statements on a website? you go on there and go well, somebody for the company wrote

it. >> you send a cease and desist order. >> how is my former town, chicago? >> it is so great there, and even warmer. >> nice to see you, good seeing you in person. he is a sports legend and the author of several best sellers ahead. former great kareem abdul-jabbar talks about his battle with cancer and his own mortality. ♪

i wish my patients could see what i see. ♪ that over time, having high cholesterol and any of these risk factors can put them at increased risk for plaque buildup in their arteries. so it's even more important to lower their cholesterol, and that's why, when diet and exercise alone aren't enough, i prescribe crestor. in a clinical trial versus lipitor, crestor got more high-risk patients' bad cholesterol to a goal of under 100. [ female announcer ] crestor is not right for everyone. like people with liver disease or women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. tell your doctor about other medicines you're taking.

call your doctor right away if you have muscle pain or weakness, feel unusually tired, have loss of appetite, upper belly pain, dark urine or yellowing of skin or eyes. these could be signs of rare but serious side effects. ♪ is your cholesterol at goal? talk to your doctor about crestor. [ female announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. [ male announcer ] jill and her mouth have lived a great life. but she has some dental issues she's not happy about.

so i introduced jill to crest pro-health for life. selected for people over 50. pro-health for life is a toothpaste that defends against tender, inflamed gums, sensitivity and weak enamel. conditions people over 50 experience. crest pro-health for life. so jill can keep living the good life. crest. life opens up when you do. . okay, this is just in to cnn, we're just getting it in. egypt's president has cancelled a controversial decree that set off deadly protests. critics said the decree was little more than a power grab by the president. egypt is preparing for a new referendum on the constitution. let's go now to reza sayah, what do you know about this? >> reporter: don, still no reaction from the leaders.

but it looks like egyptian president mohamed morsy has made at least one concession to the opposition. there were two red-button issues that really fired up and angered the opposition forces, one was a set of decrees the president founta announced last month that game him expanded powers. the other was the draft of the constitution, they said was pushed by a panel that squeezed out the liberal and moderate voices. they demanded he cancel the decrees and postpone the nationwide referendum on that draft. just about an hour ago, there was an announcement that the president has, indeed, cancelled the controversial decrees that gave him additional powers. the announcement that he made last month. however, the nationwide vote on the referendum on the constitution will apparently go on as scheduled on december 15th. so clearly, one of the demands

that the opposition had, apparently, the president has given in to that demand. cancelling, annuling the decr decrees, the nationwide referendum on the constitution, apparently still going on as scheduled on december 15th. we'll see now how the opposition reacts, and if, if this announcement by the president will calm the conflict that we have been seeing unfold over the past couple of weeks now. >> and reza, i'm just getting national, arss well. from the international desk. as you said the plan will go forward, the constitutional assembly will be taxed with doing a new draft within six months of being formed. and here is the one, can you talk about this more, the cancellation of the presidential decree doesn't take force retroactively, so any decisions made under it will stand? >> reporter: yeah, there is a lot to sort through here, and one of the points that i think

you mentioned, the constitutional assembly will get back together. i think that is going to happen if there is a no-vote on this new draft of the constitution. but the key is, those november 22nd declarations, the decrees that gave him additional powers, that made him immune from the judiciary. his position was he needs those additional powers to establish the democratic institutions. the draft of the constitution. the opposition described it as a power group, his attempt to squeeze out the liberals and moderates. tonight he came out and said the decrees you were angry about, i have anulled them. that wind oneas one of the demae other is postponing the referendum on the draft. it will be interesting to see what opposition leaders say and how they react to this pretty important announcement, don. >> reza sayah, thank you very much for this breaking news on

cnn. when we come back, basketball legend kareem abdul-jabbar has a new mission. two years ago, the people of bp made a commitment to the gulf. bp has paid over twenty-three billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger.

>> kareem abdul jabar.

best-selling author, advocate for education and cancer survivor. >> well, i thought about my own mortality a number of times, especially since i've been diagnosed with leukemia. that's the first thing you think about. all of the sudden, you realize that there's a clock up there with your name on it and the clock is ticking. >> it's a fascinating interview. that's not all we talked about. you don't want to miss my entire interview with him at 10:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. friends and family remember the world's oldest person at her funeral. bessie cooper was the world's oldest woman. she lived an amazing life. she loved politics and getting her hair done. more on her remarkable life. >> she saw the turn of the century twice living 116 years, the world's oldest person. her 77-year-old son tells her story best. >> she was a very, very good person.

and she thought if she wanted to do it, she could do it. and she did most of the time. >> well into her hundreds. >> yes, and she lived at home alone until she was 105, out in country. >> reporter: born in 1896, cooper moved from tennessee to georgia to teach during world war i and sydney cooper remembers she was very passionate about learning. >> she kept up with politics, read the paper every day and later, when tv came only, she'd watch the news on television. >> reporter: she was also a pioneer in the women's suffrage movement. >> i think she understood that it was just not right that women could not vote. could not have a voice in this country, in this democracy that we have. >> reporter: what was the event, out of all of those years, what was the biggest event that had the most impact on her? >> i think it would have been the depression. that was a very difficult time. and it taught her to be very

frugal. they didn't waste anything. >> reporter: never in her life did bess cooper ever have a driver's license. so she never got the opportunity to drive over this bridge. it was named after her just outside her hometown here in georgia. she did, though, at one point, drive during a time when you didn't need a license. and the only car she ever drove, the model t. >> the day after my father died, she was 68 years old and said she wanted to start driving again. he had let her drive. she lived in the country. my father had a car, of course, but we talked her out of it because she was too old. i look back now, she was young. >> reporter: bess cooper died peacefully december 4th, 2012. >> we got kind of particular about the fact that she went -- it was just like she was getting ready to go. she went and got her hair fixed and she looked beautiful. >> what would you say people could learn from her?

>> i think to be positive. in all aspects. her philosophy was hard work and honesty will get you ahead. be truthful and honest. >> reporter: george howell, cnn, monroe, georgia. >> it is college football's biggest award and it will be presented tonight. and there could be a first. i want to show you this. don't forget, where ever you go, you know, we go, too. you can watch cnn live on your computer at work or everyone n smart phone. head to cnn.com/tv. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

there's nothing like $192 million, before taxes that is, to kugcushion the potential fal off of that arizona cliff. an arizona couple came forward with the second ticket. they wanted to claim it before the first of the year and planned to start a foundation with the money. good for them. congratulations. and, finally, it's heisman time. the coveted trophy will be presented tonight in new york to the nation's best college football player. one of the finalists, texas a&m quarterback johnny menzel is a freshman. no first-year player has ever won the award. the other finali